. >>> new developments in syria's chemical weapons. army is reportedly ready to load deadly sarin gas into bombs that could be dropped on civilians. there is word the pentagon is telling the white house it might need 57,000 troops to secure syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. heavy fighting continues in aleppo and the capital of damascus as the rebels surround the president's forces. secretary of state hillary clinton is repeating her warning that using chemical weapons would cross a red line. >> our concerns are that an increasingly desperate assad regime might turn to chemical weapons or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within syria. >> and there are indications that are syria's embattled president may be working on an exit strategy. >>> another big story we are following. a possible break in stalled negotiations to avoid the so- called fiscal cliff. for the first time in days, president obama and house speaker john balkaner spoke by phone about the looming deadline. there reportedly was no